Search - Nikhil Banerjee :: Morning Ragas Bombay 1965

Nikhil Banerjee
Morning Ragas Bombay 1965
Genres: International Music, Pop, Classical

Track Listings (4) - Disc #1
1. Bilaskhani Todi alap
2. Bilaskhani Todi alap
3. Bilaskhani Todi alap
4. Jogiya Kalingra gat
Track Listings (7) - Disc #2
1. Jogiya Kalingra gat concl. TT
2. Jogiya Kalingra gat concl. TT
3. Jogiya Kalingra gat concl. TT
4. Bhairavi
5. Bhairavi
6. Bhairavi
7. Bhairavi

CD Details

All Artists: Nikhil Banerjee
Title: Morning Ragas Bombay 1965
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Raga
Original Release Date: 6/1/1996
Release Date: 6/1/1996
Genres: International Music, Pop, Classical
Styles: Reggae, India & Pakistan, India
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaCD Credits: 2
UPC: 704482021620

Synopsis

Album Description

Nagra recording of a morning concert for a music circle by Felix van Lamsweerde made in Mumbai (Bombay) in 1965. Complete concert on 2 CDs. Tabla: Nikhil Ghosh. About the Bombay concert: Apart from his beautiful music, the main thing I remember strongly about Nikhil Banerjee is his soft manner and extreme modesty. In fact, when I asked him for permission to record the concert, he said: "Why? I am not good enough yet. Better record me another time, later!" Of course, what was very special in this concert and for me the first time I heard it: the tarparan, the tabla joining in the jor section of the Bilaskhani Todi alap. Nikhil Banerjee explained to me that tarparan was a technique borrowed from the way rudra vina and pakhavaj play together in the dhrupad style.---From a letter by Felix van Lamsweerde

CD Reviews

An entire live concert recording of an incredible performanc

Alexander Kunlun | New York, NY | 02/15/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fantastic 2-cd recording of the entirety of a concert by the late, great sitarist Nikhil Banerjee and the late, great tabla player Nikhil Ghosh.

The playing is inspired with spirited improvisations and beautiful compositions set to morning ragas.

The concert starts with alap and jor (solo rhythmless exposition) in raga Bilaskhani Todi and follows with the rare and special tar paran. Tar paran (which means a drum composition played on the string instrument) comes from the ancient dhrupad style and the melodic performer plays in shorter rhythmic phrases which mime the percussionist's patterns. Some sloppy performers today (Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia, I'm looking at you, here) goof off with a drummer banging away in what comes off as clumsy jazz and call it tar paran, here we get to hear a bit of what it should sound like.

Next follows an epic slow composition in raga Jogiya Kalingra with tabla accompaniment (with a break when the musicians took a short pause to re-tune their instruments). This is gorgeous playing. A medium composition comes next.

After that is a glorious performance of Raga Bhairavi done in the lighter thumri style that allows the colors of other ragas to come out in the vibrant playing. Every part of this is just breathtaking. This is some of the best Indian Classical music anywhere.

It's a great performance from great artists. You won't be disappointed.

As for the guy who whined about the price--it's a 2cd set, that's why it costs more (and well worth it)."